The Benedictine University baseball squad split a Northern Athletics Conference (NAC) doubleheader with Wisconsin Lutheran College on Sunday at The Sports Complex. The Eagles (15-17, 9-7 NAC) lost the opener, 3-2, before coming back to take the second game, 14-7.
The game one loss was an especially bitter pill to swallow for the Eagles as the Warriors overcame a 2-0 deficit thanks to a three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning. It also wasted an outstanding pitching effort by Eagles' starter James Callahan.
Callahan threw eight scoreless innings and permitted just eight scattered singles to WLC batters. He also struck out nine and did not walk a batter.
However, Callahan was lifted in the ninth inning and Kip Simmerman was called upon to finish the game. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Simmerman was rudely welcomed to the game by the Warriors. Facing just six batters, Simmerman allowed a single, walk and then the deciding homer, while also hitting one batter before Dan Vincenti was called upon to restore order and BU down 3-2.
Leftfielder Kevin Graham was 2-for-4 with a double and one run batted in. Matthew Brewer was 2-for-3, also with a double and one RBI. Designated hitter Rick Porcaro had Benedictine's third double in the game.
In the second game, a nine-run second inning blew the game open early in the Eagles' favor. Benedictine had built a 12-1 advantage after four innings of play.
BU starting pitcher Matt Strle could not receive credit for the win, after completing just 4 2/3 innings (of the required 4 1/2 innings) and giving up five earned runs. Instead, the win was credited to reliever Dan Jedlowski.
Jedlowski (1-0) not only got the final out of the WLC fifth, but threw an additional two scoreless frames. Tommy Anselmo and Vincenti also took turns on the mound for the Eagles to close out the game.
Porcaro was 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored. Freshman first baseman Nick Meitzler was 3-for-5 with three runs and three runs batted in.
Graham went 2-for-2 and scored twice to round out the Eagles with multi-hit games.

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Benedictine University is an independent Roman Catholic institution located in Lisle, Illinois just 25 miles west of Chicago. Founded in 1887, Benedictine provides 56 undergraduate majors, 16 graduate and four doctorate programs. The Chronicle of Higher Education recently ranked Benedictine University as the seventh fastest-growing campus among private nonprofit master’s universities, and Forbes magazine named Benedictine among the top 20 percent of America’s colleges for 2011. Benedictine University’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain’s Chicago Business as the fourth largest in the Chicago area in 2011.